Online Extras

MORE ON THE BLOG: To read more about northwestern Pennsylvania history, click here.

MORE ON PINTEREST: To see boards of Erie history photos and Erie Times-News historic covers, click here.

Today we celebrate America's independence and honor the heroes who have preserved our freedom and strengthened our nation.

Erie's holiday celebration includes the 48th annual Millcreek Fourth of July parade, which kicks off at West 12th Street and Marshall Drive at 9:45 a.m. and heads west. Exactly 12 hours later, at 9:45 p.m., "fireworks extravaganzas" will blast off at four sites as part of the Perry 200 Commemoration: Liberty Park, Girard High School, the Waterford Fairgrounds and Mercyhurst University's North East campus. Each site features family-friendly activities and entertainment before the fireworks. The Erie Maritime Museum is also offering free tours of the museum and the U.S. Brig Niagara today from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

At some point, though, after the drumbeats of the parade or before the sizzles of backyard barbecues or even during the blasts of the fireworks, we should pause to remember Erie's significant contributions during both the Battle of Lake Erie, 200 years ago, and the Battle of Gettysburg, 150 years ago. Commanders in those battles displayed traits of resolve and resilience that have been woven into Erie's character.

The Battle of Lake Erie has long been part of our treasured local lore. We've heard about the hardy Erie settlers, led by Capt. Daniel Dobbins, who built the fleet on our shores that allowed American forces to defeat the British at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, on Sept. 10, 1813.

We know that immigrants labored during cold, icy conditions in March 1913 to raise the battered U.S. Brig Niagara from Misery Bay for the Perry Centennial.

We can recite the words on the battle flag that Oliver Hazard Perry carried from his original ship, the Lawrence, onto the Niagara: "Don't give up the ship." And we are familiar with Perry's message after victory: "We have met the enemy and they are ours."

Erie residents should know just as much about Waterford native Strong Vincent and his heroics at the Battle of Gettysburg -- but there's this catch. Vincent was shot on July 2, 1863, as he and his troops beat back the Confederate charge at Little Round Top. Promoted from colonel to brigadier general on his deathbed, Vincent died July 7 at age 26, leaving behind his pregnant wife.

George Deutsch, an Erie native and devoted chronicler of Vincent's short, courageous life, said that Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine have been touted in film and books for playing the key roles at Little Round Top even though Chamberlain was Vincent's subordinate. "Because Chamberlain lived, he was able to tell the story over and over again," said William Garvey, president of the Jefferson Educational Society.

Now Vincent's story has been told anew, in our series, "Erie at War: Remembering Gettysburg 150 years later," available at GoErie.com/strongvincent.

Today, we remember Vincent's rallying cry to his embattled troops: "Don't give an inch, boys, don't give an inch." We salute this war hero who is honored at Gettysburg with a statue, "The Ideal Soldier," that bears his likeness but not his name. Such straight talk and lack of pretentiousness are part of Erie's character, too.

Online Extras

MORE ONLINE: To explore the Erie region’s history, see photos and videos, click here.